Sierra County topographic map

The San Francisco Bay Area is characterized by a diverse and dynamic topography shaped by geological processes over millions of years. This region features a combination of coastal plains, steep hills, and rugged mountains, all influenced by the tectonic activity associated with the nearby San Andreas Fault…

Average elevation: 371 ft

Average elevation: 807 ft

The borders of the San Francisco Bay Area are not officially delineated, and the unique development patterns influenced by the region's topography, as well as unusual commute patterns caused by the presence of three central cities and employment centers located in various suburban locales, has led to…

Average elevation: 371 ft

Average elevation: 1,683 ft

Average elevation: 322 ft

Average elevation: 30 ft

Average elevation: 351 ft

Average elevation: 659 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

The Santa Cruz Mountains are a region of great biological diversity, encompassing cool, moist coastal ecosystems as well as warm, dry chaparral. Much of the area in the Santa Cruz mountains is considered temperate rainforest. In valleys and moist ocean-facing slopes some of the southernmost coast redwoods…

Average elevation: 755 ft

Average elevation: 705 ft

Average elevation: -157 ft

Average elevation: 1,319 ft

Average elevation: 5,607 ft

Average elevation: 5,233 ft

Average elevation: 0 ft

The Berkeley Hills are bounded by the major Hayward Fault along their western base, and the minor Wildcat fault on their eastern side. The highest peaks are Grizzly Peak with an elevation of 1,754 feet (535 m) and Round Top, an extinct volcano with an elevation of 1,761 feet (537 m) and William Rust Summit at…

Average elevation: 518 ft

Average elevation: 6,578 ft

Average elevation: 6,516 ft

Pine Mountain Club has an area of 16.7 square miles (43.25 km2). It ranges from 4,901 to 6,400 feet (1,494 to 1,951 m) in elevation. The community sits in a deep valley of the San Emigdio Mountains, on the San Andreas fault. It is surrounded by Los Padres National Forest. The settlement lies between Apache…

Average elevation: 6,125 ft

Average elevation: 49 ft

Average elevation: 2,444 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 1,312 ft

General Sherman is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) tree located at an elevation of 2,109 m (6,919 ft) above sea level in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, in the U.S. state of California. By volume, it is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth.

Average elevation: 6,936 ft

Cajon Pass (/kəˈhoʊn/; Spanish: Puerto del Cajón or Paso del Cajón) is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in…

Average elevation: 3,835 ft

Average elevation: 1,627 ft

Average elevation: 6,617 ft

El Dorado Hills (EDH), as defined by the 2010 census-designated place (CDP), is at the western border of El Dorado County, between the City of Folsom and the unincorporated community of Cameron Park. The northern limits of the CDP are Folsom Lake and the South Fork of the American River, where river rafters…

Average elevation: 833 ft

The climate in San Diego, like most of Southern California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances, resulting in microclimates. In San Diego, this is mostly because of the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May…

Average elevation: 187 ft

The city marina is on one of three islands at a narrow point on the 13-mile-long (21 km) bay and increases in elevation slightly as it spreads north, south, and especially to the east. The city gently encroaches at least two miles (3.2 km) eastward into primarily Redwood and Douglas-fir second growth forests.…

Average elevation: 328 ft

Average elevation: 6,942 ft

Average elevation: 3,192 ft

Mount Shasta (Shasta: Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki; Karuk: Úytaahkoo) is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of 14,179 feet (4,321.8 meters), it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state. Mount Shasta…

Average elevation: 12,195 ft

Average elevation: 3,422 ft

Average elevation: 1,404 ft

Average elevation: 3,307 ft

Average elevation: 138 ft

Average elevation: 492 ft

Average elevation: 12,756 ft

Average elevation: 5,118 ft

Mount Whitney (Paiute: Tumanguya; Too-man-i-goo-yah) is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). It is in East–Central California, on the boundary between California's Inyo and Tulare counties, 84.6 miles (136.2 km) west-northwest…

Average elevation: 12,805 ft

Average elevation: 7,231 ft

Average elevation: 1,709 ft

Average elevation: 4,498 ft

On January 17, 2007, an unusually cold storm brought snow in the Santa Monica Mountains. The hills above Malibu picked up three inches (eight centimeters) of snow - the first measurable snow in fifty years. Snow was reported on Boney Peak in the winter of 2005; and in March 2006, snow also fell on the summit…

Average elevation: 659 ft

Average elevation: 3,274 ft

Average elevation: 7,733 ft

Average elevation: 11,112 ft

Average elevation: 187 ft

Average elevation: 8,150 ft

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lebec has an area of 15.3 square miles (40 km2). The community, which is near Tejon Pass, lies at an elevation of 3,481 feet (1,061 m).

Average elevation: 3,812 ft

Average elevation: 387 ft

Average elevation: 5,755 ft

Average elevation: 2,943 ft

Average elevation: 5,512 ft

It is the fourteenth most topographically prominent peak in the contiguous United States. White Mountain Peak is one of only two fourteeners (peaks above 14,000 feet) in California that are not in the Sierra Nevada, the other being Mount Shasta at the far northern end of the state in the Cascade Range. It is…

Average elevation: 12,730 ft

Sierra City (Sierra, Spanish for "mountain range") is a census-designated place in Sierra County, California, United States. The elevation of Sierra City is 4,147 feet (1,264 m), and the town is situated in the canyon of the North Yuba River on California State Route 49, twelve miles northeast of the county…

Average elevation: 5,276 ft

Average elevation: 3,094 ft

Average elevation: 7 ft

The area is surrounded on the southwest by the Santa Rosa Mountains, by the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east and San Gorgonio Mountain to the north. These mountains peak at around 11,000 feet (3,400 m) and tend to average between 5,000 and 7,000 feet (1,500 and…

Average elevation: 236 ft

Average elevation: 2,106 ft

Average elevation: 3,107 ft

Average elevation: 3,930 ft

Average elevation: 128 ft

Average elevation: 659 ft

Average elevation: 6,831 ft

Average elevation: 1,627 ft

Average elevation: 4,705 ft

Average elevation: 1,975 ft

The most common approach to Mount Lyell is from Tuolumne Meadows on a highly traveled section of the John Muir Trail. The round trip is approximately 25 miles (40 km) and involves 4,500 feet (1,370 m) of elevation gain when starting from the Tuolumne Wilderness Office. The hike is easy from Tuolumne Meadows,…

Average elevation: 11,896 ft

Average elevation: 141 ft

Average elevation: 1,112 ft

Mono City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mono County, California, United States. It lies north of Mono Lake at the base of the Sierra Nevada at the junction of U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 167, at an elevation of 6,768 feet (2,063 m). The ZIP Code is 93541;…

Average elevation: 6,759 ft

Average elevation: 358 ft

Average elevation: 49 ft

Average elevation: 5,778 ft

Average elevation: 801 ft

Average elevation: 4,032 ft

Average elevation: 59 ft

Average elevation: 6,952 ft

Cucamonga Peak is one of the highest peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, with a summit elevation of 8,862 feet (2,701 m). It is within the Cucamonga Wilderness of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Average elevation: 7,349 ft

Onyx (formerly, Scodie) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Onyx is located 3.5 miles (6 km) east-northeast of Weldon in the South Fork Valley at an elevation of 2,795 feet (852 m). The population was 457 at the 2020 census, down from 475 at the 2010 census.

Average elevation: 3,953 ft

Gerber is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tehama County, California. Gerber sits at an elevation of 226 feet (69 m). The 2020 United States census reported Gerber's population was 1,044.

Average elevation: 236 ft

Average elevation: 1,434 ft

Average elevation: 4,967 ft

Average elevation: 3,077 ft

Average elevation: 112 ft

Average elevation: 899 ft

Average elevation: 1,056 ft

Average elevation: 115 ft

Average elevation: 6,486 ft

Average elevation: 4,790 ft

Average elevation: 620 ft

Diamond Springs (formerly, Diamond Spring and Diamond) is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,037 at the 2010 census, up from 4,888 at the 2000 census. The…

Average elevation: 1,778 ft

Average elevation: 3,117 ft

Average elevation: 4,377 ft

Average elevation: 3,698 ft

Hilmar is an unincorporated community in Merced County, California, United States. It is located 4.25 miles (6.8 km) west-southwest of Delhi, spanning 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) and at an elevation of 92 ft (28 m) above sea level. For census purposes, Hilmar is aggregated with a nearby community into the Hilmar-Irwin…

Average elevation: 98 ft

Markleeville hosts an annual bicycle ride called the Death Ride - Tour of the California Alps. The route goes over five passes for a total distance of 129 miles and over 15,000 feet of elevation gain. In 2010 3,500 riders participated and 2,417 completed the full course of 5 mountain passes.

Average elevation: 5,866 ft